I Love the Mohawk Valley: Father, daughter team up to make Anniversary Banks

A romantic anniversary gift turned into a unique father-daughter project. Father of two and furniture maker, Moe Lalonde, and his daughter Amanda Lalonde, both from Clinton make wooden banks called Anniversary Banks. The duo answers questions about the wooden craft. ...

Uticaod

Writer

Posted Feb. 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 28, 2012 at 4:45 PM

Posted Feb. 28, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Feb 28, 2012 at 4:45 PM

CLINTON

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A romantic anniversary gift turned into a unique father-daughter project. Father of two and furniture maker, Moe Lalonde, and his daughter Amanda Lalonde, both from Clinton make wooden banks called Anniversary Banks. The duo answers questions about the wooden craft.

Question: Where does the story of the Anniversary Bank begin?

Answer: “I made one for my wife, Sarah, for our fifth wedding anniversary. I thought a bank would be kind of neat, so I designed it and we kept it on our counter,” said Moe Lalonde. “We put our silver change in it. It had about $200 in change. Earlier, when money was very tight, it was nice to have that money to go out with. We always called it our Anniversary Bank, so that's where the name comes from.”

Q: How are the banks made?

A: “It's different species of wood, they're all cut and glued together,” Moe Lalonde said. “And that's where the artwork comes in. I work with almost entirely local species of trees from guys in Clinton.”

Q: Tell us about the species of wood you use?

A: “They're all around. They're probably species found in your yard,” Lalonde said. He and his daughter usually work with maple, cherry and walnut trees, he said.

I Love the Mohawk Valley

Theseries features places and people that make the Mohawk Valley a special place to live. The series can be found at www.uticaod.com/ihmv. Ideas for stories can be sent to Angelica A. Morrison at amorrison@uticaod.com.

Q: How did Amanda become interested in the craft?

A: “I got involved because my dad had made a couple of them,” said Amanda Lalonde, 20. “And after my freshman year in college, I wanted a summer job with flexibility. So, he showed me how to make them and we made a couple.”

Q: Amanda, you've also branched out and started making wooden benches, one of which won second place in a New York State Fair contest. How did that come about?

A: “I was surprised; it was something that I really enjoyed making. It was frustrating at times. It took a long time to make. My dad kind of walked me through the steps.”

Anniversary Banks and other wooden crafts made by the Lalondes in Clinton can be found at the Artisans' Corner in the village or by visiting their website at http://www.anniversarybanks.com/